China readies for typhoon, shuts schools, cancels flights

Southern Chinese cities scaled back many aspects of daily life on Tuesday with school and business closures and flight cancellations as they braced for one of the strongest typhoons in years that has already killed three people and displaced thousands in the Philippines.

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Residents living in flood-prone areas put sandbags and barriers at their doors, while others taped windows and glass doors to brace for strong winds.

Many people stockpiled food and other supplies, and some market vendors reported their goods were selling out fast.

Some Hong Kongers gathered on a promenade to watch waves as high as 2 to 3 meters splash onto the pedestrian area before the weather worsens. Authorities rescued three people, including a child, from the sea and police said they were watching the waves.

Hong Kong's observatory said Super Typhoon Ragasa, which was packing maximum sustained winds near the center of about 195 kph, is expected to move west-northwest at about 22 kph across the northern part of the South China Sea and edge closer to the coast of Guangdong province, the southern Chinese economic powerhouse. Over 370,000 people were relocated in the province, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

China's National Meteorological Center forecast the typhoon would make landfall in the coastal area between Taishan and Zhanjiang cities in Guangdong between midday and evening on Wednesday.